Patrick Roy is not happy, particularly with his star center, Matt Duchene.
On Sunday night, Duchene celebrated after scoring his 30th goal of the season in a 5-1 blowout loss to the St. Louis Blues, his first 30-goal season of his career, and Roy was not pleased, and he let everyone know it.
“The reaction of Dutchy after he scores — it’s a 4-0 (game). Big cheer. Are you kidding me,” Roy said, via Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. “What is that? It’s not the ‘reflect’ that we want from our guys. Not at all.”
At the time of the goal, it was a 4-0 game, and the Avalanche were on the verge of sealing their postseason fate — or lack thereof. That may have played a role in Roy’s frustration, but it goes far deeper than just one celebration.
“Our core hasn’t proved that they have the leadership to bring this team to another level,” Roy said. “Eventually, we have to admit, (right)? We need more from these guys. These guys need to prove to us that they’re capable of carrying this team.”
The Avs were given plenty of opportunities to make the playoffs this season, and they’ve squandered each and every one. This is a deep-seeded issue, one that won’t go away with an offseason.
“It’s not good enough,” Roy said. “At this point of the year, you’re supposed to win five out of six, not lose five out of six. It’s just not good enough. I don’t have the answers right now, but I know one thing: It’s not good enough and it’s embarrassing what happened out there tonight.”
The Avs are stuck in a rut; they’ve fallen into their old habits, and those habits are not good. When the going gets tough, they collapse, and that’s been the case all season.
“We need to change the mind-set. I think we have a losing mind-set right now,” Roy said. “I think we have to find ways to believe more in ourselves.”
Unfortunately, it’s a little too late for that.
